


The stages of falling in love

by chatnoirwritings



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-02-01 19:24:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12711369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chatnoirwritings/pseuds/chatnoirwritings
Summary: [AU] We had met during a shaking flight headed for the United States. I thought I wouldn’t meet you again, but Life wanted us together.





	1. The day we met

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write about Sebastian Stan but I didn’t feel comfortable with writing about a real person so I am going to use Bucky Barnes, who will only be called James Barnes.

_When I think about the day we met, I can only be grateful for those moments that have followed. We have learnt to love each other at the same time we have learnt to love ourselves. Now I can only think about the future, a shared future that will bring us joy._

You had almost missed your flight. The coach that would have taken you to Heathrow Airport almost made you miss this important flight. It was the first time in years that you would go to the United States, alone, and that made you feel nervous. You were leaving lots of things in the  _Old World_  but this new job looked promising, the promise of a new life far from home, far from your nightmares.

Still anxious, you walked through the aisle in order to put your hand luggage on its place, but not without the help of a flight attendant. Sighing, you sat down on the aisle seat at last. You rested the back of your head against the seat and closed your eyes, you were just too tired after being running all this time.

It was going to be a long flight, fortunately you were ready to enjoy the journey, as you brought as many books as you had been able to put in your bag. Thinking about which one you were going to read first, you almost didn’t realise there was someone else on the seat next to the window.

“Excuse me”, that person said.

You opened your eyes and looked at the man next to you. “Yes?”

“Hello”, he said, “I... I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was thinking...”, he said hesitant.

You waited for him to continue.

“I was wondering if you didn't mind if we changed our seats”, he finally said blushing. “You see... I am not overly comfortable when travelling on planes and I don't like being next to the window”, he explained.

“Of course!”, you answered. “I would love to!”

He thanked you as both changed your seating. You thanked him too because you loved sitting next to the window.

“My name is James”, he introduced himself, and in a handshake you told him your name.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N”.

Half of the flight you forgot about your books, too immersed in your conversation with James. He wanted to know about you and that feeling was mutual. Soon you shared your hobbies and what you liked and disliked, and realised that you had too much in common.

“Why are you going to the States?”, he asked you while both were having lunch.

“Because of my job, it's a new one, by the way, I wanted a change of scene and I thought New York was perfect for me”.

“So you will be staying in New York”, he said. “Me too... I mean, I'm from New York”.

“New York? Hopefully, we'll meet again”, you say heartily. James was a nice guy.

He smiled, also wanting to meet you again.

“And why were you in London”, you asked with curiosity.

“To meet some friends, but before I had been to Bucharest”, he answered.

“Romania?”

“Yes, I have family there”, that was his answer.

The flight continued and both of you were too eager to know more about each other. And you killed time sharing your books, watching some videos and sleeping. There wasn't anything else to do.

 

* * *

 

 

James Barnes could say this was the best flight he had ever had. It was not that he was afraid of travelling by plane, but he was just respectful. Talking to Y/N had helped him to face that nervousness, and he could also say that he enjoyed that flight. They were almost arriving to the airport and, although he wanted to leave the plane, he also wanted to continue talking to her.

And, once they arrived, he was going to make sure to be in contact with her in the near future. Who knew what would happen?

He was lost in thoughts but a sudden movement alerted him. “What's going on?”, he asked.

But before you could answer him, a voice spoke though the speakers: “We are having some turbulences, please don't forget to fasten your seatbelts and don't stand up. It will pass soon, please keep calm”.

But James felt the opposite, and put his arms on the armrests, trying to keep his cool. His hands turned white as he squeezed them.

You sensed his anxiety and looked over him, appreciating his pale face. “Are you OK?”, you whispered. He only nodded.

The turbulence wasn't going to end for now, and, without thinking, you reached your left hand and put it over his. Immediately, he released the armrest and took your hand. You squeezed his slightly reassuringly.

“Thanks”, he only said.

 

* * *

 

He only wanted to kiss the floor, he thought once he managed to leave the plane behind. Walking with you towards the exit, both with your luggage and ready to leave the airport. You were still talking when someone stopped you.

“James!”, a tall man called him.

“Hey, Steve”, he said, waiting for the man to approach you two.

You just stayed there looking at both men, not knowing what to do. James sensed your uncertainty and introduced you to the man called Steve. “It's nice to meet you”, he said.

You talked for a little bit but soon it was time to leave, both were too exhausted and wanted to go home. It was the moment to say goodbye, you both thought as you reached the street.

“Wait, Y/N!”, James called you when you were about to take a taxi. You turned around to face him.

“Please, give me your number so we can meet again”, he said hopeful. You immediately accepted. “Here's mine”.

Without thinking twice, you put his number on your mobile phone. Then, you looked at him. “Well...”

“This is not a goodbye for sure”, he said with a bright smile.

“No, it is not”, you said as you got into the taxi, he was holding the door for you and, once you sat down, he closed it. He reluctantly turned around in order to leave. “James!”, you called him through the open window.

He spun immediately, so fast it almost made you laugh.

Without losing your smile, you told him: “Pe curând!”

_See you later._ And the taxi left, leaving him wanting to see you again.


	2. Coincidences are a sign

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **warnings** : none, some swearing but that’s ok...  
>  **Words’ meanings** : **_Y/FIELD_** : your working field (Business, Medicine, Law...)

"Yes, Mrs. Turner, There's nothing left", you spoke through your mobile phone to your new boss. "I wanted to thank you for taking the trouble to send all my packages and boxes to my new home", you said while walking through your new flat. Everything had already arrived by the time you left the airport.

"You know I wanted to help you", she said. "What do you think of your new apartment?"

"It's perfect", you answered. "Again, thank you so much for letting me stay in this flat. I really appreciate it".

Your new flat belonged to your boss, who decided to rent it to you at a good price. It was a one story flat, very spacious and bright. It was located in a really good neighbourhood and the block was surrounded by some touristic places and buildings. It was perfect for you.

Everything was new for you and you were too energetic to stop for a moment. You continued talking to your boss and thanked her again for everything. She had helped you a lot; after finding you when you were still working for your previous company, she decided she wanted to have someone so capable and hard-working in hers. It was not so different to your previous job, as you had been already working in the  _ **Y/FIELD**_  sector.

But you couldn't be phoning everybody and wasting time, you had to start organising everything. This was the worst part: taking all your belongings from each box. It was going to take you a while.

After hanging up, you stood in the middle of the living room, looking at those unopened boxes. You needed to start now, but you felt tired and lazy. No, first you decided to sleep a bit more, it had been a tiring flight and you felt the effects of the jet lag.

Stepping carefully, avoiding all those boxes, you headed to where your remembered the main bedroom was. There, you found that your boss had already thought about everything, as she had left a set of bedsheets over your bed. You needed to thank her again.

 

 

 

* * *

 

The ride back home was too long for James. He had been staying at Steve's house for two days and he couldn't wait for going home. He still needed to buy some things as his house was a bit empty after his long stay in Europe. Even though Steve had been the best host, there was nothing like being at home.

His best friend had decided to take him home and, despite traffic, travelling by car was faster than taking the subway. During the whole journey, James had been looking at his mobile, which didn't pass unnoticed.

"So...", Steve said as he stopped before a red light. "Are you gonna call her?"

James knew who he was referring to, although he didn't know how Steve could know he was looking at her contact information.

"I don't know, man", he answered. "I really want to, but I don't know what to say"

After these words, Steve took his eyes from the road for a moment to glance at him.

"What?", incredulity in his tone. "You don't know how to talk to a woman?" he laughed.

James pretended not to hear him, and continued talking.

"I want to wait a bit more... I don't know... It's only been two days and maybe, sure, she might be still organizing everything and whatnot..."

"But you could call her an offer your help, you know?" The light changed to green and Steve continued the journey.

This made him think for a moment. "Yes, why not? But I want to do things right, man, when I met her I felt that... like she was perfect for me and I don't wanna rush anything"

Despite the silence that followed, Steve knew James was still thinking about the woman he met on the plane.

"I'll call tomorrow", he let out.

"Sure, just don't wait too much".

 

 

 

* * *

 

"What the...!", you almost shouted as you saw the sign on the elevator's door.  _Out of order_ , the words mocking you and your  _stupid_  decision to buy food and other things for the whole week. You really regretted not paying the extra fee for the supermarket to deliver your groceries.

After taking the plastic bags you had placed on the floor in order to catch your breath, you headed towards the stairs. Six floors are nothing, you wanted to believe.

_Six floors are nothing for me. I'm strong!_

But soon sweat covered your forehead, although it was not hot at all. You didn't take your coat off because it would mean more things to carry. Breathing was a difficult task, as you advanced each floor, you realised you sounded like a strange animal.

 _Three floors are nothing_. You were almost there, three more floors and you would be able to take a break. You just couldn't believe your bad luck! Hopefully, nothing worse would happen.

Instead of slowing down, you decided to speed up and soon you reached your floor.  _6 th floor_, those words  _tasted_  heavenly in your mouth when you said them aloud. You only needed to walk a bit more to reach your door.

 _You were almost in front of your door_.

Without leaving your bags, you tried to take your keys from the purse. You were almost there, you thought breathlessly. You were about to take your well-deserved break.

But a loud noise made you stop.  _Bam!_  Two of your bags tore and their content ended on the floor. How can a bag tear like that? You didn't want to look at the mess.

But you had to, you just couldn't leave your things there. Then, you lowered your head and turned around in order to see how one tangerine was racing against a peach, both fruits going towards your unknown neighbour's door.

"Fuck it!", you couldn't help it. You needed to take your things before anyone arrived.

But then, your bad luck got worse, as the door in front of yours opened, revealing that neighbour you still hadn't met.

It seemed that the noise caused by your groceries falling down and your shouting had alerted your neighbour, who wanted to see what was happening outside. The door opened and a man appeared, making an attempt to go towards you.

"Are you...?" he couldn't end his question.

"No!", you shouted but it was too late...

Your new neighbour didn't see that peach on the floor and stepped on it, smashing the  _poor_  fruit and almost falling down.

"Are you ok?", you asked him as you looked at his feet and tried to calm yourself. "Peachy", he answered annoyed.

The man looked at the disaster under his feet and slowly turned his gaze towards you, while you were still motionless in the middle of the hallway. His surprise evident on his face, which increased once he saw who was in front of him. And when you realised who that man was, your eyes widened also in surprise.

"James?" "Y/N?", you both said at the same time.


	3. First date

James couldn't be happier. Despite the "peach incident", he couldn't believe his own luck. Having you as his neighbour changed lots of things. You, on the other hand, still felt embarrassed after your show in the hall, even though it helped you discover that James, the man you had met on the plane, was living next door.

After helping you collect your things from the floor, you had offered to clean his shoe, which was still covered in fruit, but he refused. What he did was to leave his shoes outside your flat and helped you with the rest of your things, putting everything in the kitchen. He just couldn't leave you now that he had found you.

"Well...", you tried to start a conversation but didn't know what to say.

"This is not how I expected to see you again", he said without hiding his smile. "But I can't complain"

Intermediately, you covered your face with both hands and leant against the countertop. He was next to you, one arm resting on it too.

"Please..., don't say that", you murmured.

James couldn't help it and his smile showed how much he was enjoying your torment, or was it the fact that he could be with you? Maybe both things.

"Now, thank you for helping me", you said after you moved your hands from your face, now looking at him. "I don't know how I could repay you, you didn't let me clean your shoe..."

His eyes lit up, as if he had come up with a marvellous idea. "You can"

"I can?", you didn't know what to expect.

"Sure", a dramatic pause. "Let me take you out to dinner", he finished with a convincing smile.

 

* * *

 

You still didn't know why you had accepted that offer, now that you were looking at your reflection in the mirror of your bedroom your mind started thinking of every possibility that might follow. You really didn't know him. Sure, you had met him on the plane and you had just discovered that he was your neighbour, but you knew nothing else. What if...?

No, you shook your head unconsciously, still looking at your reflection, as if having a conversation with your _other_ _self._ You reckoned the fact that maybe you had been too eager to accept his offer, you couldn't deny the attraction you felt for him. And you were pretty sure he felt the same. His actions made you think so.

You were only going to have dinner, nothing else, you said to yourself. You looked at your dress, trying to find any flaw on it. "Good", you continued your inner conversation, this time aloud.

"Now I need some makeup, but not too much", and you headed to the bathroom in order to finish getting ready for your date.

 

* * *

 

 

While you had been getting ready for your night, James was waiting impatiently for the clock to strike seven. He was in his living room, going around in circles while talking to Steve on the phone.

Steve was laughing shamelessly, upsetting James a bit. "Oh, man, I can't believe you are telling me this"

"What?", James replied curtly. "Can't I just say that I'm nervous?"

"It's the first time you are nervous about going out with someone", he answered. He is enjoying this too much. Maybe he shouldn't have told anything to him. "When are you going to meet her?"

"At seven"

"there's still time but don't be late", Steve continued. "It'll be fine"

"I can't be late if she is next door, Steve". James was getting more and more nervous. "I really like her, I don't know, it doesn't matter if I have just met her"

"Oh!", Steve's smile was almost audible in his tone. "Is it love at first sight?"

He couldn't wait more, especially after Steve's words. With a sound similar to a growl he hung up. Even if it wasn't seven o'clock, he left fast to meet you as soon as possible.

 

* * *

 

You were really nervous. There, in the middle of the living room, you had already taken your purse and coat, looking at the clock waiting for it to strike seven. There was still some time before James arrived but you didn't know what to do, so you decided to wait. The sound of your doorbell saved your from boredom. Immediately, you went towards the door and looked though the peephole. It was James.

"James!", you exclaimed when you opened the door. "What...?"

"I couldn't wait and decided to come now. Are you ready?", he was too eager to take you out.

"Sure! Let me grab the keys". You lost no time and closed the door of your flat. "Let's go!"

 

* * *

 

It had been a perfect date, despite your nervousness and doubts, you had really enjoyed going out with James. He had taken you to an elegant restaurant and he really knew how to make you comfortable, always making you smile and feel at ease.

While you had been having dinner, you found that you were too comfortable with him, sharing stories and knowing each other. It was the first time a man had asked you so many questions about your life genuinely.

Now, as the two of you were taking a stroll through a park, side by side, you remembered his expression when you talked to him during dessert.

 

_You had had some problems while choosing what to have for dessert. Fortunately, James helped you decide and recommended his favourite one, which was indeed delicious. As the two of you were enjoying the rest of your soiree in that restaurant, you decided to continue talking._

 

“ _Vă mulțumesc pentru a da invitație”, you said to him, a bright smile adorning your face._

> 'Thank you for taking me out'

_And, for a moment, James felt lost at this sight._

“ _Nu..., mulțumesc tine”, he whispered, paying too much attention to you. “So you speak Romanian”_

“ _Well, you heard me the other day”_

“ _Yes”, he agreed. “But... now I'm listening to you say more words”._

“ _In my previous job, I used to work with some colleagues that were Romanian speakers, so I know some things, although I usually make a lot of mistakes”, you answered._

“ _I could teach you more, if you want”, his smile matched yours._

“ _I would really appreciate it” was your answer._

 

"What are you thinking about?", James' voice brought you back to reality.

"Mm?"

You looked at him and it was when you realised that you had stopped walking. It was so dark that you almost couldn't see him, the only light came from the moon and the not-so-luminous streetlights. In order to see you better, James decided to move closer.

"You were daydreaming", he laughed.

After his words, you blushed and avoided his gaze, or tried to.

"I... it's just..."

"Yes?", he encouraged you.

He was impossibly close. Standing in the middle of the isolated park, you were almost speechless. You were in front of him and you could feel his warmth.

"I...", you tried, but his blue eyes were distracting. Nevertheless, you smiled. "M-am simțit foarte bine astăzi..."

"I have also had a great time with you", he interrupted you and then you realised that he had been hugging you loosely all the time you were too focused on trying to find the right words.

"...vă mulțumesc", you finished and James just couldn't help it.

In a moment, his lips met yours, kissing you slowly, as if trying to memorise every second. At first, you were surprised at his movement, but you soon found yourself kissing him back and moved your arms over his shoulders.

James deepened the kiss, making you open your mouth and, as his tongue touched yours, you hugged him tighter, putting one hand against the back of his head. You felt your legs trembling. You wanted more.

For a moment, you even thought you were daydreaming again. You wanted more. You needed more.

But, suddenly, James left your mouth and moved away slightly in order to look at you. Slowly, you opened your eyes, your blush too obvious in the middle of the dark place. You didn't pull away, you were too comfortable in his arms.

James' lips were over yours but didn't touch them. You could feel his warm breath against your mouth at the same time he hugged your waist more securely.

 

"Do you want to go back?", his question didn't hide his real intention.

"Yes, please", you managed to say before he kissed you again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author notes** : I’m sorry if there is any mistake in the Romanian sentences. I only know basic Romanian and mainly spoken.


	4. Don't leave

Being with James made your life more interesting. You really loved when he stayed with you at home. You had been going out for two months and you could say with certainty that you didn't miss your previous life in Europe. Neither was it that you had left someone behind when you decided to move to the United States.

He wanted you to meet his friends, and he had already introduced you to Steve, the man you saw on the airport that day. Despite having meeting James quite recently, something inside you had made you feel this was not a _fleeting thing_. You really liked him. You loved being with him.

 

Unfortunately, holidays were near, and the two of you had been too busy working on your respective jobs, it looked as if your bosses had decided you had to work on December as if there wouldn't be another year afterwards.

“Today I don't have to work”, James had told you one morning while you were having breakfast at his flat. You were sitting on the kitchen chairs, one in front of the other, with the small table between the two of you. “It's been ages since I didn't have to go to work on Friday”

Taking your mug with both hands, you looked at him through the steam of your hot drink. “Today?”, you asked.

“Wanna do something?”, he said before standing up and left his mug in the kitchen sink. He turned around to look at you, waiting for you to finish your breakfast.

“We could go out, but don't forget today I'm having a working dinner so we can be together till six or so”. You stood up and went towards him. He took your mug and turned around again in order to start doing the dishes. A silly pout on his face.

“But today it's my free day!”, he whined. You only laughed.

“I know! But I have to go”, you then hugged him from behind, your arms around his waist and your face against his broad back.

“But I'll miss you...”, he muttered but smiled when he felt your kiss through his clothes.

You waited for him to finish his task, you didn't move as you felt too comfortable in that position.

“You can always wait for when I come back, you know?”, you said as you moved away slightly once he finished, to which he took the opportunity to move around in order to hug you back. “I'll let you stay in my flat”, you looked at him and intermediately knew he was up to something.

His pout had already disappeared.

“Why are you looking at me like...”, he didn't let you finish as he bent slightly to kiss you.

“Mmm”, you closed your eyes and kissed him back, feeling his hands roaming over your back to stop on your butt. Then, he broke the kiss.

Frowning, you looked at him. “Why are...?” And again.

This time, you tried to talk through the kiss, but to no avail. “Let me fin...” No, he wouldn't let you talk as one kiss was followed by another one which was also followed by another, this time more intense. You moved your arms to his shoulders.

You forgot what you wanted to say, too lost in his kisses. His hands moved to your waist again and, without effort, he hoisted you up. You broke the kiss and found a knowing smile adorning his face.

“There's no time to waste”, that was the only thing he said before taking you to his bedroom.

 

* * *

 

 

Dinner had been more interesting that you had ever thought. Despite having been discussing about new things to be implemented for the company, you had a good time chatting and meeting colleagues from other departments. One of them had even taken you home in her car, to which you were really thankful.

Despite having a good time with your colleagues, you couldn't wait to see James again. The thought of finding him home once you arrived was too dream-like. Everything was new for you and this wasn't any different. It was going to be the first time someone would be waiting for you.

And for the first time you felt beloved. A feeling you once had thought to be impossible for you. But now you felt in a continuous daydreaming. _This_ , you thought, _this is where I belong to_.

It was three in the morning when you arrived to your quiet neighbourhood. You thanked your colleague before getting out of the car. Quietly, you took the lift and went to your flat, opening the door and taking your shoes off carefully in order not to wake up James.

 

Though the lights from the living room evidenced he was still awake. You found him reading a book on the sofa. As soon as he sensed you approaching, he put his book aside and got up, meeting you halfway.

“How was dinner?”, he asked after he gave you a kiss.

“It was interesting”, you replied. “I'm a bit tired”.

He took your hand and went to your bedroom. “Then let's go to sleep. I was waiting for you”

“Why didn't you just go to bed?” You asked him as you entered into your bedroom.

“I couldn't sleep without you”

You had never been so fast in changing your clothes. You were really tired and couldn't wait for being under those many layers of blankets.

The quiet night, without noisy neighbours nearby, was very alluring, inviting you to a fast sleep. You were ready to fall sleep, covered by the warm sheets and the sensation of your boyfriend's warm body next to yours. Though, his voice attracted your attention.

“You know?”, you moved slightly to look at him even in the darkness. You made a noise to make him know you were listening.

“Today I've been thinking...”

“Yes?”

“We could... Today I really missed you and...”

You waited for him to continue.

“We could live together, this time for real”

In order to see your reaction, he switched the light on, and found you looking at him and smiling.

“It's too soon”, you said as you put one hand over his chest.

“I know... but...”, he stuttered, now feeling a bit embarrassed.

“We can try. I also want to live with you”, you didn't let him continue. You were too sure of what you wanted. This time you knew.

And after your words, he inclined and hugged you, almost crushing you.

“Then..”

“Yes”, you said against his chest. He laughed heartily.

 

The next day marked a new stage in your relationship. And both of you were too confident of going together through the stages that would follow on this path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a prelude of the next chapter...


	5. Meeting new friends

_We could live together, this time for real_. James' words had been like a gift for you, like an early Christmas Eve. These days you two had been deciding where to stay, and as you had already paid the rent, you would be staying in your flat for a while. This was the best year for you.

He had also been insisting you on meeting his friends. And Steve's visit to your home was a sign for that.

“One of our friends, Tony, is having a party at his house”, Steve had said the day he arrived with some invitations in hand.

You had invited him inside, and the three of you had been in the living room, sitting down on the sofa, talking about the upcoming party. From Steve's and James' explanations, it seemed like a huge event.

“Lots of people will be there”, he explained. “It's a Christmas party”

It seemed that Tony had decided to throw a Christmas party some days before Christmas Eve, making sure all his friends would be there in time.

“And he is really eager to meet you. Well, all of them are”, Steve informed you with a bright smile.

You had been a bit shy about meeting them. What if they didn't like you? They were James' friends and you only wanted to give a good impression. Your boyfriend immediately managed to get that idea out of your mind, as he was pretty sure all of you would get along.

So you only needed to get ready for that _special_ night.

 

* * *

 

 

You didn't know why you had been so nervous. The moment James and you had entered the enormous building you had been greeted by a friendly Tony, the _host_ of the party. His eagerness about meeting you was evident, and soon you found yourselves surrounded by all his friends.

“It was time James let us meet you”, one of his friends, Natasha, had said.

“You should thank me then”, Steve had joked.

One by one they introduced to you, and that heaviness you had felt previously soon vanished. James' hand never left yours, knowing of your previous nervousness. Tony would appear from time to time, too busy meeting all guests that were arriving.

Natasha never stopped asking you questions about yourself and about your relationship with James and you two connected immediately. She didn't hesitate to ask for your mobile number, wanting to be in contact with you so you two could meet again another time.

“Let the poor girl breath!”, Sam had said to Nat jokingly after her incessant questions.

But you didn't mind, as you were having a great time surrounded by these people that you would be able to call friends in the near future.

James made sure he wouldn't leave your side the whole time, though, after Tony's reappearance, he went to order more drinks for you two. Tony was the perfect host, and soon you found about his job, which was related to yours. It wouldn't take too long for you to be immersed in a _business_ _conversation_.

 

Despite that interesting conversation, you missed James, who was still in front of the bar waiting for your drinks. You saw him from where you stood while still listening to Tony and smiled at him when he looked back at you.

But your smile soon faded when you saw what was going to follow.

 

* * *

 

 

You looked at that person approaching James. Something felt wrong.

“What the hell is she doing here?”, Natasha's words confirmed your suspicion. “Why did you invite her, Tony?

“I didn't!”, he exclaimed.

“Who is she?”, you asked them as you watched how close she was getting to James.

Tony's hesitation made you act fast.

Without further delay, you went towards them, and your demeanour quickly changed as you saw her almost _on_ him. _Let him some space, you..._

You knew what was happening, it was as if you had an expertise in this kind of situations, unfortunately.

“James?”, you called him once you were next to them.

James turned to look at you, his smile never faded. “Hey...”

“Who is she?”, that woman interrupted him.

You raised your eyebrow. And waited for him to reply.

“Dot, let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Y/ N. Y/N, this is a friend of mine”.

“A friend..., I see”, you reply.

It didn't matter, that Dot never left him, she never moved away. Her hands were constantly on James' arm.

“Well”, you said. You were not going to let the past come back again. “When I was with Tony and Natasha, it didn't seem as she was a **friend** ”

James looked at you, it was the first time he saw this kind of talkingon you and it left him speechless. Nevertheless, he was looking at you, asking about your strange response with his eyes.

“We had some differences in the past”, she boldly replied.

But it didn't diminish your behaviour.

“James, dear”, you continued, your eyes never left her. “îndepărtează de ea, please”

_Move away from her_. You never meant to sound like that, but you were getting too angry to think about the repercussion of your words on him.

His eyes bored into yours, but he complied and, slowly, you reached for his hand. “Dot, it was a _pleasure_ to meet you”, you greeted her again and her annoyed expression made you feel victorious.

 

James followed you back to your new friends, his silence soon erased that victorious feeling. His strong grip of his hand on yours sent you a clear message.

 

_Let's talk about this once we get home_.

 

You were too angry to care and only shrugged.

“Sure”, you said aloud for him to hear as you approached to a nervous Natasha.


	6. Our first argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: some _bad_ words...

The constant silence in which you two had been surrounded while returning home was painful. James didn't say a word and even the taxi driver felt bad, wishing to reach the destination as soon as possible and even taking shortcuts.

You had been looking through the window, trying to ignore his gaze on you. Though, its reflection showed you the _perfect_ image of his annoyed expression. James never stopped watching you, as if trying to say something through the expression of his eyes.

However, you never acknowledged it.

So it wasn't till you reached the safety of your home when he finally spoke up.

 

“What was that?”, he said once you had locked the main door and headed towards the living room.

“What?”, you simply said.

You left your purse on the sofa, not even caring about leaving it on its right place. James sat down, waiting for you to say something. He didn't need to explain, both knew what the conversation was going to be about.

“Who was that?”, you changed his question for your own advantage.

“I told you, a friend of mine”, he said.

You moved in order to face his sitting form, you preferred to stand. “That's not what I heard from your friends”

Though you hadn't really heard anything, you just had made an assumption after Tony's hesitation.

James sighed and let his hands run over his face, trying to calm himself.

“It's true that I had been going out with her for a while”, he finally said as his hands went to remain over his lap. “But everything ended and we decided to stay as acquaintances”.

“An acquaintance is not a friend”, you reply fast, too used to this kind of conversation.

“She was just talking to me”, he said, his exasperation visible.

“It didn't look like that”, you raised your voice a little bit. “She was obviously groping you”

“That's not true”, he said as he stood up. Now face to face. “I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed”.

You didn't care you had to look up in order to find his eyes. You were not going to be intimidated by his height.

“Then you must be stupid or something”, you said. “Or were you enjoying it?”

His hands now went to his head, messing up his hair in the process. “I can't believe we are arguing about it”, and let his hands down again. You felt his nervousness behind that constant movement.

You remained silent, waiting for a good comeback.

“We were just talking”, he assured. “And I can't believe you could get this jealous over something like this”

Something was activated inside your mind after those words, those well-known words. And you saw red and the actions that followed were clouded by your own past.

“I am not blind!”, you shouted. “It was not a _friendly_ behaviour”

“We're not going to continue this”, he tried to walk away towards your bedroom but you didn't think twice.

“Oh, so you enjoyed it, right? Of course...” And shoved him, making him sit down on the sofa again.

His eyes widened.

“What the hell, _curvă_?”

Your eyes widened too.

“What have you just called me?”

He asked himself the same question mentally. Arguing after having drunk was always fruitless.

You waited for him to take back his words, but he was too busy overthinking.

“Ok”, you said and he immediately looked at you. “That's it!”

And you just turned around and went to your bedroom.

James followed you right away, but didn't expect to be hit by the closing door, leaving him outside the bedroom. “Y/N!”

You could hear his shout clearly, and it made you tear up. When he reached for the doorknob, you moved fast and locked it form inside.

“Let, me, in!”, he said trying to sound calm.

You didn't say a thing and decided to change your clothes in order to get ready for sleep, even though you knew it was going to be impossible.

“Love”, he tried again. “Let me in, please.”

“No...”, you whispered as you laid down.

“Where am I going to sleep then?”, he tried one more time.

You didn't know why but that made you even angrier.

“You have your own flat!”, you shouted and cover your head with your own pillow.

This way, you tried to muffle the noise of him complaining loudly as he decided to stomp along the corridor.


	7. Learning together

A faint sound outside your bedroom woke you up. You had been sleeping for two hours, not being able to remain asleep for too long. This had been your worst night of all. The sun welcomed you through the window, its rays making their way through your bedroom as they let you look at your surroundings.

You sat down in the bed, trying to put your thoughts in order. With reddened eyes, you looked at the locked door. What was that sound?

As you got out of your bed, you felt how tired you were. The whole night you had been thinking about what had happened, you felt depressed, too regretful for fighting James like that. As you got dressed you were gathering the speech you had been practising all night. You wanted to see him, you wanted to talk to him, let him explain, and let yourself explain your actions; you really regretted having shoved him and with a resolution you decided to apologise about that.

You were ready to face him, and you couldn't wait to go to his flat, as he must have left in order to spend the night there. You clearly chased him out, after your shouting he had left home.

Now there was not a single trace of alcohol in you. You were going to clear your mind and speak up. You didn't want to let the past haunt you again, you had learnt over the years that miscommunication was an enemy in relationships and you couldn't let James go.

No. For the first time in you life, you knew what you wanted, you knew your love for him was bigger than your own stubbornness and you weren't going to let your own pride win. Not this time.

Once you were about to enter the living room, the smell of freshly made breakfast hit your nose. You followed the delicious smell and went to the kitchen. And there you found him.

James was leaning against the counter and facing the door. You stopped in the threshold, both looking at each other. His face showed how sorry he was, and you were sure yours showed the same, so you decided to take the initiative and moved forward.

“Y/N”

You didn't stop and didn't let him say anything, as you immediately hugged him tightly. His arms followed suit and you found yourselves in a hug that expressed what you feel. The calm and silence of your surroundings made it more intimate.

“I'm sorry”, you said against his chest.

He only murmured, too immersed in your scent.

Eventually, you moved your face from his chest in order to look at him. With expectant eyes he waited.

“I shouldn't have pushed you like that”

James smiled and tightened his arms, making you know it was alright.

“I also wanted to apologise”, he said. “I've been thinking about what happened last night and you were right”

“But...”, he didn't let you continue.

“I wasn't aware, it was just talking for me. And I'm sorry for making you feel like that”

You moved your arms and put them on his shoulders, making him lower his face. With a bright smile and still teary eyes, you kissed him without hesitation. He immediately kissed you back. _I love you_ , it's what you wanted to tell him through that kiss.

“I love you”, you repeat aloud once you break the kiss.

“I love you”, he says. “I'll talk to Dot and make it clear that I'm only yours”

You laugh, but it soon faded.

“I don't like how she acted”, you said.

“Neither do I; I wasn't even paying her any attention, our argument opened my eyes”

“But I still shouldn't have shoved you”, your eyes watered a bit as you recall last night's event. “I'm so sorry...”

“It's ok, I know you are sorry, _iubit_ ”

And he went back to kiss you again, in an attempt to make you forget your sadness.

 

* * *

 

After breakfast, you decided not to let him go for a moment. There you were, on the sofa, sitting impossibly close to each other. As you lead against his side, you listened to him explain what he had been doing.

“I still can't believe you slept here”, you said once you learnt he had been sleeping on this sofa instead of going home.

“I didn't want to leave you” it was his answer.

“I'm still sorry for pushing you away and...”

He didn't let you continue apologising. He moved slightly in order to face you and hugged you tightly. Giving you one peck after another, he showed you how he felt, his feelings, his love for you.

You knew there was still a long way, but you will learn together, you will talk about what you fear, about what you feel, and about your concerns. You were going to make sure this relationship would work.

“What are you doing?”, you laughed when his lips found your sensitive neck.

He moved away to look at you, his smile never left his face.

“Let's make up for last night”

And you gladly accepted.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

Walking through this park made you remember that day. The same isolated park where you kissed for the first time was full of marvellous memories. This time, however, he didn't make you stop in the middle of the path, but took your hand and lead you to a fountain. He never let you go till you found yourselves surrounded by the calm noise of water and leaves moving to the rhythm of the wind.

Everything seemed perfect. It had been months since the incident. An incident that now seemed almost forgotten. You had been able to overcome this obstacle, learning together how to love and express what you feel.

You had never been so in love before. James brought you back that hope you once had thought to be lost.

And here you were, again, facing each other under the starry night. “ _Te iubesc_ ”, he said looking at you lovingly.

Smiling at each other as both took in the other's presence. “I love you too”. Your smile, however, _trembled_ for a moment once you saw him kneeling down in front of you, without hesitation.

Your eyes widened and unconsciously you held your breath, waiting. Was it happening?

“Y/N”, your name on his mouth made you even more nervous.

“Y...Yes?”, you couldn't find your own voice as you saw him taking a small box from the pocket of his jacket.

He paused for a moment, looking at you with expectant eyes. His hands, however, didn't stop their task and showed you what they had been keeping.

“I love you”, he said again as he opened the small black box.

You trembled in anticipation, not even realising you had started crying. This time, tears of joy covered your face.

James' eyes watered out of happiness, with tangible emotions.

The box revealed the most beautiful ring you had ever seen.

 

“Y/N”, he said your name one more time. Your eyes moved from the box to find his hopeful eyes.

 

**“** **Will you marry me?”**

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me and my works on [Tumblr](https://captainseabarnes.tumblr.com)


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